Like other healthy teenagers, disabled children should enjoy life
Though disabled, Bill is
After lunch, we
In order to lose weight, I’m considering
She
Constantly
9 . 14-year-old Leanne Fan from San Diego, California, was named the grand prize winner of the 2022 3M Young Scientist Challenge, the nation’s top middle school science competition.
Leanne Fan developed the Finsen Headphones, a low-cost headphone device that uses machine learning and blue light therapy (疗法) to detect and treat mid-ear infections (感染) in children — potentially preventing up to 60% of hearing loss in children. The world sees 700 million cases of mid-ear infections every year. Fan hopes that this can be an effective and low-cost treatment option for the thousands who are affected.
Fan was inspired to create the headphones three years ago while learning about Niels Finsen, who won the Nobel Prize in 1903 after inventing light therapy to treat bacterial (细菌的) infections. “I thought, ‘This is an amazing idea, and I can apply it to something else in my daily life,’” Fan said.
Fan took home the top prize, earning the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist” and $25,000. She is planning to use some of the prize money to start the patent process for the headphones. Fan is optimistic that the Finsen Headphones will be able to help people in the near future.
“Being part of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge was absolutely the best part of my year,” Fan said. “I could meet scientists that are my age and going for their dreams too, and made some friends.” She hopes to inspire other girls who want to become inventors. “Even a small idea can go far,” she said. “I had an idea to use blue light to kill bacteria and three years later, I’m here.”
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．The cost of the headphone device. | B．The process of blue light therapy. |
| C．The description of the headphones. | D．The cases of mid-ear infections. |
| A．Her own daily life. |
| B．Her desire for the Nobel Prize. |
| C．The facts of bacterial infections. |
| D．Niels Finsen’s invention of light therapy. |
| A．Outgoing. | B．Patient. | C．Creative. | D．Hardworking. |
| A．Even a small idea can go far. | B．Many hands make light work. |
| C．Roses given, fragrance in hand. | D．Actions speak louder than words. |
10 . Parents of teenagers often view their children’s friends with distrust, worrying that their children will be pushed by their peers (同龄人) into doing something foolish or even dangerous. Their worries hold water. In a previous study, psychologist Laurence Steinberg found that a teenage driver with a same-age passenger in the car is at higher risk of traffic accidents than one driving alone or with an adult.
In the following years, Steinberg examined why teens were more likely to take risks in the company of other teenagers. In a later study, by scanning (扫描) the brains of 40 teens and adults, Steinberg found the brains of teenagers, but not adults, showed greater activity in two regions associated with rewards when they were being observed by same-age peers. The reward systems of the brain are activated whenever people experience something rewarding, like eating a nice-tasting food, which make them feel satisfied. In this case, rewards are greater for teens, which motivates them to seek higher-risk experiences.
But Steinberg thought peer pressure might also have its positive side. In the latest study, Steinberg’s team used a card game to research how peers affect the way young people gather and apply information. It involved 101 teenage boys who played either alone or with three peers. They chose cards from four decks (牌堆): two decks had “good” cards, and two “bad” ones. Players with peers were more willing to take risks, trying to figure out which decks could help them to win. The results showed that teens playing with their peers engage in more exploratory behavior, learn faster and achieve better performance on the task than those playing alone.
Now some experts are proposing that we should take advantage of the teens’ keen sensitivity (敏感) to the presence of friends to improve education. “Risk taking in an educational context is a vital skill that enables progress and creativity,” wrote Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, a professor at University College London.
1. What do the underlined words “hold water” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Make sense. | B．Face doubts. |
| C．Bring relief. | D．Start debates. |
| A．Inability to tell right from wrong. |
| B．A sense of satisfaction. |
| C．Eagerness to follow their friends. |
| D．Lack of social experience. |
| A．It starts fights between them. |
| B．It inspires them to question. |
| C．It weakens their independence. |
| D．It helps them to learn better. |
| A．Conduct group discussion. |
| B．Improve time management. |
| C．Encourage personal opinions. |
| D．Develop decision-making skills. |
